Vue

With Cash-for-Clunkers legislation headed for signing by President Obama, the team of experts at Autobytel has compiled an online buying guide that identifies the top brands and best model bets for a new, more efficient automobile that qualifies for the proposed Cash-for-Clunkers voucher. With gas prices surging upwards, the guide also serves as a timely road map of those vehicles best equipped to save money at the pump.

Jorge Chapa from Inhabitat.com: Ohio State University recently took top honors in the 2009 EcoCAR Competition, which challenged students across the US and Canada to redesign a standard Saturn Vue into an ultra-efficient vehicle. Their winning EcoCAR utilizes a lithium battery and an ethanol-fueled engine to achieve an incredible 300% increase in fuel efficiency over its standard model counterpart! The vehicle took plenty of man hours, good design and well-honed math skills, but the end result proves that future-forward vehicles can be built with the technology of today.

Saturn is offering current owners 1500 more reasons to stay in the family. "These days, it seems good news is hard to come by, particularly in the car industry," said an email received by SaturnFans.com earlier today. Current Saturn owners can receive $1,500 in Owner Appreciation Cash toward a 2009 Aura, Outlook, or Vue. Owner Appreciation Cash is also good for $750 toward a 2008 Astra, $1,000 toward a 2009 Sky, and can be combined with other cash offers.

Warren Brown from the Washington Post: Small, independent car companies such as California-based Tesla Motors and AFS Trinity Power of Bellevue, Washington, have come up with electric models that give their gasoline counterparts a very fast run for the money. After driving an "extreme hybrid" AFS Trinity version of a Saturn Vue SUV, which beats all GM Saturn Vue models in fuel-economy and straight-line acceleration, here's suggesting that the Penske Group, Saturn's new owner, get in contact with AFS Trinity.

Students from Ohio State University earned top honors at the 2009 finals of the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge competition in Toronto, Canada for their design of a Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV). OSU took first place out of 17 universities in the U.S. and Canada that competed in the first major milestone of this three-year competition which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, and many others including the Government of Canada.

In January 2008, Saturn announced that the Vue would be the recipient of an innovative two-mode, plug-in powertrain in 2011. This would have allowed the Vue to generate an average fuel economy of 35mpg. After deciding to sell Saturn, however, GM robbed Saturn of this technology and announced it would instead debut it in one of GM's four core brands.

Colin Bird from Cars.com: According to GM spokesman Brian Corbett, the suspension of the Malibu Hybrid is temporary and has no implications for future hybrid products from Chevrolet. The Saturn Aura Hybrid and Vue Hybrid, which use the same "mild" hybrid technology as the Malibu Hybrid, may also cease production.

Sharon Terlep and John Stoll from the Dow Jones Newswires: Each of General Motors' 350 US Saturn dealerships will receive offers to continue selling the vehicles under a tentative deal announced Friday to sell the brand to mega dealer Roger Penske. Penske, who runs the Penske Automotive Group chain of dealers, will take over the brands, trademarks, service and parts operations and distribution operations related to the Saturn. "We will have a completely independent company, and it will be lean," Penske said in a conference call with reporters Friday.

Colin Bird from Cars.com: Remember the Saturn Vue Two-Mode Hybrid? If you don't, you'll never know it, as this Saturn Vue model will never go on sale. The vehicle was so close to launch that the EPA even tested it: The Vue Two-Mode would have received a 27/30 mpg city/highway, 28 mpg combined rating.

Chris Woodyard from USA Today: General Motors' potential bankruptcy filing is sure to prompt questions for the millions of consumers who own GM vehicles or for folks who are thinking about buying a new GM car or truck.

Random Article from the SaturnFans.com Archives

With its turbocharged engine and sizzling yellow-to-red paint scheme, the Saturn SCX three-door coupe ignited the passion of performance-car enthusiasts. The SCX's 1.9-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine was modified by Saturn Motorsports of San Diego to yield an estimated 300 hp, more than double the engine's normal output in the Saturn SC2. Along with its hot engine, the SCX boasted a high level of handling and sporty appearance cues that reflected the car's performance capabilities.